Brian Burke takes aim at current WA Labor government in 7Perth’s Flashpoint

Former WA premier Brian Burke has once again opened up about his regrets, saying he would “change everything” if given the chance but believes our current State Government lacks the same courage politicians of his generation had.

In an interview with 7Perth’s new current affairs panel show, Flashpoint, which airs at 9.30pm tonight, the former Labor leader says he knows he made many mistakes throughout his career but thinks modern politics, and in particular, our current crop of leaders, are too concerned with how they are perceived rather than making bold moves.

Camera IconBrian BurkePicture: Ian Munro

“Look, I’m under no illusion about my reputation. I know that if you raise my name in a pub you’ll probably get either a whack in the ear or a hug,” he tells host Tim McMillan. “Often when prominent people retire from their positions they’re asked what would you do differently and they often say I wouldn’t change a thing. Well, that’s not me. I’d change everything. I’d run a million miles from a lot of those decisions that saw me described as the ‘architect of WA Inc’.

“Now it’s clear to me that unlike the 80s, when I guess we thought we were bullet-proof, that these days everybody is watching themselves so closely, that it’s almost a question of doing nothing. And so I hesitate to say that the State Government is less courageous than were previous governments.

“When I was elected to Parliament there was a whiff of a vocation about politics. These days politics is much more of a job. I don’t think more than one or two of the ministers in the present government would have made it in to the ministry in the 80s. Today’s political leaders are intimidated and dominated by a media that is aggressive, intrusive, unreasonable and often wrong.”

Burke also talks about the late Labor Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, saying he did not think the man who is arguably this country’s most popular leader would “have lasted one week in the present social media smokestack environment”.

“The things that I witnessed Bob do which were acceptable then and which people laughed about would today see him the target of the Me Too movement, drummed out of parliament, probably in disgrace,” he says.

Burke was considered one of the most popular and successful Labor politicians of his time becoming premier of WA at 36 during the boom time era of the 1980s.

Camera IconBrian Burke

And while his government is credited with bringing about real change to this state - it abolished the death penalty, transformed the Perth Mint into a money-maker and pushed ahead with Hillarys Boat Harbour and Burswood Casino despite fierce opposition - it was his close ties to controversial businessman that brought about his downfall.

Three years after he stepped down as premier, Burke faced the WA Inc royal commission, which found his conduct concerning disastrous business dealings during his reign that cost WA taxpayers dearly was “grossly improper”.

He was for jailed for seven months in 1994 for defrauding the State in relation to his travel allowances. Then in 1997 he was sent to prison again for stealing $122,585 in campaign donations. However that conviction was overturned on appeal.

Burke reflects about his time behind bars as well as some of the controversial decisions in the 80s such as the construction of Hillarys Boat Harbour as well as Burswood Casino that he says were examples of “leadership”.

He also praises Colin Barnett for his vision to push ahead with Optus Stadium saying its location was in line with what his government had envisioned in the 80s.

But when asked about our current premier, Burke was not as gushing. “Comparing former premiers and former members of parliament is a bit like comparing race horses and football champions from other generations. It’s hard. All I can say about Mark McGowan is that in his generation he’s as good as the state has available to lead it.”

Flashpoint airs at 9.30pm on Monday on 7Perth.

Joining host Tim McMillan on the panel will be WA premier Mark McGowan, The West Australian editor Anthony De Ceglie, Fremantle Dockers president and home builder Dale Alcock and Nova 937’s Nat Locke.